Dear Colin,
Tonight your Mommy got serious about sleep training. Every few weeks your bed is in a new location or I am trying something new to get you to sleep more than 30 minutes at a time. While I love nothing more than cuddling you at night - your lack of sleep is impacting Mommy and Daddy in a very negative way. So, today you are 10 months 15 days and starting your first night of sleep training. I documented Conor's sleep training and so I will do the same for you to ensure that I stick to it and follow your routine.
Tonight we had dinner, you took a bath and the it was bedtime. As always, I rocked you and nursed you in your room and allowed you to fall asleep in my arms. You fell asleep nursing and after 10 minutes or so I gently placed you in your bed. You slept for 38 minutes and then proceeded to wake up every 15 minutes after that until 8:35. At 8:35 I nursed you and you have been asleep now for almost an hour. My goal is to get you to sleep until 11 or 12, nurse you again and hopefully you will be in a space to sleep longer. I am also going to start letting you cry for 2 minutes when you wake up to allow you to start trying to soothe yourself. I am not overly optimistic about this as its going to be a new skill for you and those take time but we shall see. If things don't go well then I'm ok brining you into my bed for the remainder of the night and we will simply work on the first part of the night this week and let you get better at that and then we will work on the second part of the night next week. I'm trying to be strict but fluid - but no more sleeping on the floor!!! :)
Showing posts with label crib. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crib. Show all posts
Monday, September 15, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Three Months Old!
Dear Colin,
In January 31, 2014 you turned three months old. Our 4th trimester is nearing completion and I have been back at work for a month. You are a beautiful BIG baby! You only look 3 months old when you are tucked up against me in one of our wraps. If you are on the floor or in the swing you look much older. Your physical attributes aren't the only thing that contribute to the general public thinking you are older than you are - your muscle tone is amazing! You are holding your head up, you can stand on your legs, your abdominal muscles are hard at work as you try to pull your shoulders off the floor or hold yourself in a sitting position. You are also incredibly alert and will track people and things around the house with both your ears and your eyes. Such a smart boy!
You are wearing size 3-6 month clothes and, just like Conor, your feet are such that socks are a huge issue because they are all too tight! You are in cloth diapers the majority of the time now, including at night, but because I cannot change your diaper during the evening you have many inserts stuffed in! Despite this we are still dealing with a leaking issue but I am hoping that this may resolve itself when you are nursing a bit less at night. So, for now you sleep on a blanket with a towel underneath so I don't have to worry about mattresses and sheets.
You still have reflux and you spit up quite a bit. Because of this you really don't like to lay on your back and while you seem to like your play mat a lot - you do not like being there for more than a few minutes. You are also very easily overstimulated (likely a product of Conor being around all the time and being a crazy 2 year old!) so Daddy and I work hard to ensure you don't get too worked up when things are a bit hectic around here.
You smile so much - you are a very happy baby (when you are not crying). You do tend to cry more than I remember Conor crying but this is also a much busier house than the one he came home to. But, you hold your own little man and your BIG personality is starting to emerge.
You are able to roll over! If I place you on your tummy you will roll to your back. You are also working on rolling from back to tummy but I think that will be a while still. Your hair is starting to grow in and your favorite thing to do is munch on your hands so I can only imagine what's going on in that mouth of yours.
Sleep. Colin you are a terrible sleeper. I'm really sorry to have to say that but its 100% true! You don't sleep well because you are always wanting to eat. Right now you are eating every 2 hours around the clock. CRAZY! I have decided that for my own sanity and yours that you will only be fed at night every other wake-up. I am determined to have you only eating every 4 hours at night by the time you are 5 months old because your Mom needs sleep! Right now you are sleeping in your co-sleeper for the first part of the evening and then after 11pm you are moving into the bed with us. Its not ideal but its how we are all managing the 2 hour feeds.
You and your brother are still a wonderful pair and it has been a lot of fun watching you respond to him. I can only imagine how much trouble to two of you are going to get into in the future! In this series of photos I was giving you a massage and he wanted one too. He loves to be helpful and get diapers and wipes, put dirty diapers in the trash or the wetbag. He also likes to try to hand you toys and is very good at helping you with tummy time.
The month has been a slow one. You haven't had any visitors other than Grandma and Grandpa Jakan and the playgroup ladies. But you did go bowling with Mommy and the Moms for Mother's Night Out. It was fun to have you there and we did pretty good too!
You love the bath and while I don't give them to you too often because they really dry out your skin (which is already dry and seemingly sensitive), when you do get one you go to town splashing and kicking and trying to drink the water as I let it run down your face. After each bath you get a full coconut oil massage to help rehydrate your skin. You LOVE it!
Overall, we couldn't ask for a better baby!
xoxo
Mommy
PS. Here is the comparison photo of you and Conor
In January 31, 2014 you turned three months old. Our 4th trimester is nearing completion and I have been back at work for a month. You are a beautiful BIG baby! You only look 3 months old when you are tucked up against me in one of our wraps. If you are on the floor or in the swing you look much older. Your physical attributes aren't the only thing that contribute to the general public thinking you are older than you are - your muscle tone is amazing! You are holding your head up, you can stand on your legs, your abdominal muscles are hard at work as you try to pull your shoulders off the floor or hold yourself in a sitting position. You are also incredibly alert and will track people and things around the house with both your ears and your eyes. Such a smart boy!
You are wearing size 3-6 month clothes and, just like Conor, your feet are such that socks are a huge issue because they are all too tight! You are in cloth diapers the majority of the time now, including at night, but because I cannot change your diaper during the evening you have many inserts stuffed in! Despite this we are still dealing with a leaking issue but I am hoping that this may resolve itself when you are nursing a bit less at night. So, for now you sleep on a blanket with a towel underneath so I don't have to worry about mattresses and sheets.
You still have reflux and you spit up quite a bit. Because of this you really don't like to lay on your back and while you seem to like your play mat a lot - you do not like being there for more than a few minutes. You are also very easily overstimulated (likely a product of Conor being around all the time and being a crazy 2 year old!) so Daddy and I work hard to ensure you don't get too worked up when things are a bit hectic around here.
You smile so much - you are a very happy baby (when you are not crying). You do tend to cry more than I remember Conor crying but this is also a much busier house than the one he came home to. But, you hold your own little man and your BIG personality is starting to emerge.
You are able to roll over! If I place you on your tummy you will roll to your back. You are also working on rolling from back to tummy but I think that will be a while still. Your hair is starting to grow in and your favorite thing to do is munch on your hands so I can only imagine what's going on in that mouth of yours.
You and your brother are still a wonderful pair and it has been a lot of fun watching you respond to him. I can only imagine how much trouble to two of you are going to get into in the future! In this series of photos I was giving you a massage and he wanted one too. He loves to be helpful and get diapers and wipes, put dirty diapers in the trash or the wetbag. He also likes to try to hand you toys and is very good at helping you with tummy time.
The month has been a slow one. You haven't had any visitors other than Grandma and Grandpa Jakan and the playgroup ladies. But you did go bowling with Mommy and the Moms for Mother's Night Out. It was fun to have you there and we did pretty good too!
You love the bath and while I don't give them to you too often because they really dry out your skin (which is already dry and seemingly sensitive), when you do get one you go to town splashing and kicking and trying to drink the water as I let it run down your face. After each bath you get a full coconut oil massage to help rehydrate your skin. You LOVE it!
Overall, we couldn't ask for a better baby!
xoxo
Mommy
PS. Here is the comparison photo of you and Conor
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| Conor on top, Colin below |
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Nursery Update
Dear Conor,
Its been a while since I posted pictures of your nursery....since you were born there have been many changes in your little room because its now really YOUR room and not just a room we prepared for a baby that was coming!
And there you have it little man - there is a view of your nursery when you are 7 months old. I am certain that it will continue to evolve as you get older and we have to make even more changes to keep you safe and happy in your space.
xoxo
Mommy
PS. your room is STILL my favorite place in the house!
Its been a while since I posted pictures of your nursery....since you were born there have been many changes in your little room because its now really YOUR room and not just a room we prepared for a baby that was coming!
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| What you see when you first walk into your room. We spend every night rocking in this chair before bed. |
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| Looking to the right from the door way - you and I sleep in this bed in the early morning. We also read books in this bed. Some special books and stuffed doggies are on this shelf. |
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| Your crib is on the left of your room. Its been dropped to the lowest rung and the bumpers put back on because you bump the rails all the time. Your quilt hangs from your shelf along with your music machine and monitor. |
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| Your diapers and blankets all stored neatly on your changing table. |
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| Your whale toy holder (which now has only blankets in it because the toys were a distraction to you falling asleep for naps) and your fun blue rug which matches Hunter's bed which is in the lower left corner of the picture). |
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| I love this view - this picture includes your name sign that Mommy had made for you. |
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| And your very full closet with all the clothes that fit and the ones you have outgrown! |
xoxo
Mommy
PS. your room is STILL my favorite place in the house!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Sitting Up & Crib Photos
Dear Conor,
I can't mark the exact day that you started sitting up all on your own - needing no help from us but it was about mid-June that we felt comfortable moving the boppy pillow away from you for periods of time when you were sitting. On June 21, 2012 I decided to get out the camera to capture your unassisted sitting so we would never forget.
As you can see your boppy pillow is no where to be found! At this point when you sat you tended to lean to your right and use your arm for balance - this also allowed you to easily transition to your belly when you wanted to. As of June 21, 2012 you were not getting into a sitting position from your back or stomach.
You also have become much more comfortable in your crib at night. It seems that as soon as you turned 6 months old you became more of a little boy and less of my baby. You no longer need to be swaddled or propped at night. You are still nursed to sleep but that will change in time I am sure. We do not permit you to play in your crib. Cribs are made for night sleep (someday we will get you napping in there) and because I want you to associate sleep with your room/crib we don't ever put toys in your crib. This is all well and good but it means that I have very few pictures of you in your cute little be so on June 23, 2012 I brought in the camera!
Seeing you in your crib pushing up on your arms let me know that you were getting ready for the next big step (crawling) and that Daddy and I needed to start paying close attention to you so that we would be ready to move the crib down as soon as we saw the signs of you trying to stand up. You do love your crib and its crazy to think that the very first time I put you in your crib you were so small and now look at you!
xoxo
Mom
I can't mark the exact day that you started sitting up all on your own - needing no help from us but it was about mid-June that we felt comfortable moving the boppy pillow away from you for periods of time when you were sitting. On June 21, 2012 I decided to get out the camera to capture your unassisted sitting so we would never forget.
As you can see your boppy pillow is no where to be found! At this point when you sat you tended to lean to your right and use your arm for balance - this also allowed you to easily transition to your belly when you wanted to. As of June 21, 2012 you were not getting into a sitting position from your back or stomach.
You also have become much more comfortable in your crib at night. It seems that as soon as you turned 6 months old you became more of a little boy and less of my baby. You no longer need to be swaddled or propped at night. You are still nursed to sleep but that will change in time I am sure. We do not permit you to play in your crib. Cribs are made for night sleep (someday we will get you napping in there) and because I want you to associate sleep with your room/crib we don't ever put toys in your crib. This is all well and good but it means that I have very few pictures of you in your cute little be so on June 23, 2012 I brought in the camera!
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| Hi Conor! |
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| Whoa - might need to lower the crib sooner rather than later! |
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| Hi Mommy! |
xoxo
Mom
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